2019 Postage Rates

[thelabelpalace]

I do a lot of my mailing first class via stamps when shipping to buyers.

Are any of you concerned postage rates may hike up dramatically in 2019? I have started buying postage now at cheaper rates off eBay just in case. Curious to know your thoughts!

[byrd69er]

No problem. The buyer pays for postage, not me.

[llama_lady]

If you don't think that buyers don't postage shop, you are mistaken. 

[mam98031]

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@llama_lady wrote:

If you don't think that buyers don't postage shop, you are mistaken. 

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I don't think anyone doesn't think that most buyers try to shop for the best deal.  But USPS rates for us are the same as they are for the other guy.  So unless the seller is overcharging or undercharging for S&H, that would be the only difference.

Same holds true across the internet.  While some forms of shipping via USPS are negotiable by the website with USPS, some are not.  Across the internet ALL providers of First Class Parcel and Media Mail are the same rate.  USPS does not allow it to be any different.

So while it will be yet another adjustment for buyers, they will eventually get use to it as they always have.  This isn't new to 2019.  It happens most every year.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Maybe I'm the only one but I find the flippant use of the "drinking the Kool-aid" reference to be offensive. Maybe it's because over 900 people died. Maybe it's because we've just passed the 40th anniversary. Maybe it's because I remember the event and the heartbreaking footage from the massacre. Maybe it's because I just saw an interview with the congresswoman who was shot 5 times and had to lie bleeding under a plane for hours overnight.

Maybe you could consider using a different phrase that doesn't include mass murder?

[crash-cyberdrive]

I know its an old post but was not worth to open a new one just to include a link with the finalized information. 
USPS Price Change Index

[virtualwarden]

Well, if no one else will say it. I'm sure that poster is sorry for their choice of words.

With this increase everyone here will try to increase sale by..

Feeding two birds with one scone.

Feeding a fed horse.

Bringing home the bagels.

Taking the flower by the thorns.

And, not worrying about someone else's saying.

[hlm_market]

If you buy label in advance for example flat rate envelope and i will use it after january 27 do you think USPS will charge me upon delivery( difference between now and after Jan 27)? thanks

[nobody*s_perfect]

USPS will only care about whether the date printed on the label is the correct date when the envelope is shipped.    

Price changes always take effect on a Sunday.  During past price increases, sellers were able to purchase a label at the old rate on Saturday, and choose a Monday shipping date to print on the label. There were no reports or postage due or other problems.

[vintagepursuitstore]

EBay takes a percentage fee on shipping. So when USPS has a rate increase, EBay gets richer. Offering free shipping is not possible for me. I sell $10-20 items. My package rate just increased 11.9%. If I raise my prices to accommodate the increase, buyers won’t pay that much. Some of my competitors undersell me with free shipping already. I’m not working for fun. Wondering how this will affect Amazon free shipping. Depressing.

[ellenw20114]

Me too. Forever stamps are the way to go to ship flat low cost items.

[dads-collectables]

So if postage rates are going up, ebay charges a straight fee on those rates... they appear to have no problem benefiting from the rate increases too. So it appears the monthly store fees increased, along with postage rates. Where do we go to get the rate increase discount back on final value fee on shipping? Just wondering.

[rainbowcolorz]

@nobody*s_perfect said:  But the big news is that First Class package is going to Zoned rates. The new prices are in 4-ounce brackets, so the zoned price would be the same for a package weighing 9 - 12 ounces, but then a big jump to 13 ounces etc. Some zone/weight prices will be the same, many are going up 30-50 cents; the biggest  jump is $1.43 in the price for sending 13 ounces to Zones 8 & 9.  

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@nobody*s_perfect , I'm just curious to know if this rate increase for the ounces/weight you described above for First Class packages will be for labels purchased on eBay, from eBay sales, or if someone prints a label via PayPal ... or for any sale, from any venue?   Thanks ..... 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Those are the published USPS Commercial First Class package rates.  Since that's the rate that eBay, PayPal, stamps.com, et al. currently charge, it's reasonable to expect that's what they'll charge tomorrow, too.

[cashmere99]

Dishonest

[pdxbuys]

The US Postal Service will give discounts to communist China but not to American small businesses. Go figure...